Database backup strategies-full, incremental, and point-in-time
Plan database backups: full backups, incremental backups, retention policy, off-site storage, and disaster recovery testing.
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A backup strategy is a written plan for protecting your data. Without one, you're hoping you'll remember to backup before disaster strikes. With a strategy, backups happen automatically and you know how to recover.
Types of backups: Full, incremental, differential
Full backup
Copies the entire database. Largest file size, slowest to create, but fastest to restore.
- Size: Same as database size (100MB database = 100MB backup)
- Time: 5-30 minutes depending on database size
- Restore time: 2-5 minutes
- Frequency: Daily or weekly (depending on change volume)
- Use case: New backup, archival, disaster recovery
Incremental backup
Backs up only changes since the last backup (full or incremental). Smallest files, fast to create, but requires all previous backups to restore.
- Size: 10-30% of full backup (only changed data)
- Time: 2-5 minutes
- Restore: Requires full backup + all incremental backups
- Frequency: Daily or hourly (very efficient)
- Use case: Frequent backups with minimal storage
Differential backup
Backs up changes since the last full backup. Medium file size, medium restore time.
- Size: Grows larger over the week (contains all changes since full backup)
- Restore: Full backup + latest differential backup only
- Frequency: Daily
- Use case: Balance between full and incremental
Backup frequency recommendations
| Site Type | Recommended Frequency | Justification |
|---|---|---|
| Blog (low changes) | Daily | New posts sometimes; can lose a day of work |
| E-commerce (orders) | Multiple daily | Orders come in constantly; data loss is expensive |
| User-generated content | Hourly | Users upload content; can't lose recent data |
| Before major changes | Manual backup | Always backup before updates or s |
Retention: How long to keep backups
- Daily backups: Keep last 30 days (auto-delete older ones)
- Weekly backups: Keep 12 weeks
- Monthly backups: Keep 12 months
- Yearly archive: Keep indefinitely (for compliance)
Where to store backups
- Primary: Cloud storage (Amazon S3, Google Cloud, or Dropbox)
- Secondary: Your computer (encrypted external drive)
- Never: Only on the same server your database runs on
- Encryption: If backups contain PII, encrypt them
Automating backups
- WordPress: UpdraftPlus, BackWPup (daily to cloud)
- VPS: mysqldump with cron job + upload to S3
- Managed: UnderHost cPanel backups (if included on plan)
Creating your backup plan
- Document what data needs backing up (databases, files)
- Choose backup type (full daily, or full weekly + daily differential)
- Set up automated backups
- Test restore monthly
- Review plan yearly
Test restores regularly
A backup is only good if it works. Test restoring to a staging environment quarterly.
Many companies discovered during disasters that their "backups" were corrupted or incomplete. Test restore once per quarter.
Related: Database backup and restore | Backup strategy design
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